Google is phasing out Windows in favor of MacOSX

The reason given is security. Apparently, after the Chinese Hack, the company is looking for any operating system with a better security record than Windows. Then again, maybe it is simply an attempt to make nice with Steve Jobs, after the anti-iPhone screeds at Google I/O. (Linux is also an approved alternative to Windows at Google.)

New hires are now given the option of using Apple’s Mac computers or PCs running the Linux operating system. “Linux is open source and we feel good about it,” said one employee. “Microsoft we don’t feel so good about.”

In early January, some new hires were still being allowed to install Windows on their laptops, but it was not an option for their desktop computers. Google would not comment on its current policy.

Windows is known for being more vulnerable to attacks by hackers and more susceptible to computer viruses than other operating systems. The greater number of attacks on Windows has much to do with its prevalence, which has made it a bigger target for attackers.

You can expect an exasperated quote from Steve Balmer shortly.

Apple now suggests "multiple" Antivirus programs

After years of bragging about MacOS X's invulnerability to computer virii (there has never been a virus for MacOS X seen in the wild), they are now changing their tune. Not only are they recommending antivirus software, but actually recommending multiple, overlapping software so that hackers can not target only a single algorithm. This leads to the obvious question: "What do they know that we do not?" Is this simply a move to insulate them against potential future lawsuits, or is there a MacOS X virus out there that we just don't know about yet?

Lockdown your Mac

Laptop theft is rarely an issue for me. When traveling, it is rarely far away from me, unless it is back in the hotel room and safely hidden away. But there are times when I need to leave it unattended for a time in a public place now and then. For those times, it is nice to have an app like Lockdown (formerly iAlertU) which provides a simple car-alarm-like interface for your Mac. You can set it to trigger when the laptop is moved, when power is unplugged, or when other operations occur. You unlock it with a simple password - chosen by you. It can even e-mail you a photo of whoever tried to take the device.

Oh, the irony!!

Oh, the irony!!
Originally uploaded by Veronica BelmontNever personally seen this, but it's funny in its own way.

Mac OS 10.6 "Snow Leopard" Details

Slashdot has up details on Mac OS 10.6, code named "Snow Leopard". Includes is iCal, Address Book and Mail Exchange support. The one thing that people are complaining about is that there is no NTFS support... something I hadn't thought about in my thoughts on using an Intel Mac for my Windows work. Supposedly there are third party drivers that you can buy though.

MacOS 10.5 Makes Fun of Windows

I just installed MacOS 10.5 onto my MacBook and so far, it has been a smooth experience. There is not much here that is revolutionary, but the O/S does feel quicker and has some additional eye-candy. And Safari 3 is MUCH more stable. One thing I can not see, but is all over the internet, is how Apple displays Windows network shares. See below, or click on the image for more info. Very fun!

MacOS X 10.5 Leopard ships 10/26

It is now official. The next iteration of MacOS X (numbered 10.5, code-named Leopard) is coming to stores October 26. You can pre-order now with free shipping guaranteeing delivery on the release date. Click thru to see all the new features of the new MacOS. Personally, I have already pre-ordered the Family Pack, so I can install it on my multiple Macs and to a family Mac or two as well. (The one downside is Apple officially is abandoning G3 and slow G4 processors with this release. So if you are still using an older iBook, it may be time to invest in new hardware.)

PhotoRescue Saved My Bacon!

I have a photographer friend who gave me some sage advice. "Don't invest in high volume memory cards for your digital cameras," he said. "Instead, but a lot of smaller cards which add up to the number of gigabytes you need. That way, if one goes bad, you haven't lost a full day of shooting." I noted the wisdom, but thought there was no reason for ME to follow it. After all, I thought, when have I *EVER* had a memory card become corrupted?

Well, last night, it happened! This weekend has been the Districts Quiz for the Bible Quiz Team I coach. I am sort of the unofficial photographer for the whole event, taking team pictures of all of the other teams as well as candids all the day long. I took over 600 pictures with my Digital Rebel XT, and was looking forward to getting them into iPhoto in preparation for uploading to Flickr overnight. Well, I got back to the hotel and had some problems with an old memory card reader (which is now bound for the trash). In a few easy steps, it managed to COMPLETELY corrupt the memory card - my single 4 gigabyte memory card. Suddenly, the whole weekend was lost!

In panic, I went to Google and typed in "rescue photos from a compact flash card" and prayed that there would be something other than the $200/hour data recover services. There was! I found Photo Rescue, which is a piece of software for both MacOS X and Windows which can pull the data off of damaged cards for $29 (one-time registration fee). I was desperate, so I gave it a try. It took HOURS to reconstruct the data on the card, but once it did... IT WAS A COMPLETE SUCCESS!!! It not only recovered the 600+ photos from yesterday, but another 300+ photos previously deleted from the card by my purposeful action! At this point, I highly recommend this piece of software if you wind up with a similar disaster.